US State Department Marks Anniversary of Magnitsky's Death in Moscow Prison

The U.S. State Department is marking the sixth anniversary of the death of Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in a Moscow prison.

A statement released Friday said an investigation by Russia's Presidential Human Rights Council found that he "had been severely beaten in prison and members of the Council said his death resulted from the beating and 'torture' by police officials."

Magnitsky was arrested after uncovering corruption by Russian officials that included a $230 million tax fraud scheme run by Interior Ministry and tax officials using stolen documents. He then spent a year in pre-trial detention before his death. The State Department statement noted that Magnitsky "was posthumously convicted for the crimes he himself uncovered."

The State Department called the death "a reminder of the human cost of injustice," and noted that "Those responsible for the unjust imprisonment and wrongful death remain free, despite widely-publicized and credible evidence of their guilt."

In marking the November 16, 2009 death, the State Department said the U.S. salutes Magnitsky's memory "and those who work to uncover corruption and promote human rights in Russia despite official intimidation and harassment."